The disclosure relates generally to fluid mixing devices, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a self-retaining, portable fluid mixing device capable of being connected to a container and retained thereon without the aid of a user.
The self-retaining fluid mixing device and method of the disclosure may be used in various capacities to mix a wide variety of fluids having a wide variety of viscosities. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to any particular type of fluid or viscosity. An example of fluids that may be mixed by the self-retaining device of the disclosure include flavoring syrups and thickeners used for shaved ice confectioneries. As disclosed herein below, the mixer or apparatus of the disclosure can be quickly attached to and detached from a container without the use of extraneous, cumbersome fasteners. The torque caused by operation of the motor causes the apparatus and system to lock in place during use, such that when the torque is released, the apparatus may be quickly and easily removed from the container.
A variety of machines have been developed, described and are widely known for mixing fluids. However, despite the advantages of such machines, improvements are still being sought. Machines in the marketplace may have limitations such as, cumbersome procedures requiring the user to hold onto or grasp the machine while in use requiring unnecessary human capital to mix the fluids, large machines that are difficult to manually carry or move from one location to another in a timely manner, or because the machine is heavy and unwieldy such that the user may not easily move the machine from one container to another. Such machines tend to cause slowness to the overall operation, which may be disadvantageous in industries where speed is required. For example, slow machines or machines that require large amounts of human capital to operate can reduce the efficiency of a business. In various industries, for example a shaved ice business or any other business in the concessions industry, it is important for the success of that business to move customers through a waiting line quickly to finalize the sale of a confectionary product to customers. In the example of a shaved ice business, the ability to quickly mix flavor syrups on the job site is imperative to the success of a shaved ice concession stand, especially in locations where time is of the essence, for example at a halftime break at a sporting event or other intermission. Otherwise, when mixing flavors or other fluids consumes too much time the business will lose out on the opportunity to make a sale because the break is either over or the customers are tired of waiting in long lines.
Machines in the marketplace may thus be characterized by several disadvantages that may be addressed by the disclosure. The disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base, or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.